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I’ve Been Experiencing Pain In My Left Hip That Shoots
Question: I’ve been experiencing pain in my left hip that shoots down my leg for about 6 months. It only bothers me at night when I lay down, or occasionally in certain sitting positions, sometimes to the point of needing to take an otc pain reliever. I want to think it’s muscular, but now am thinking nerve. My internal med doc ordered x-rays a few months ago that showed no arthritis. I have an appt with her next week and need to know the best questions to ask to hopefully get some relief.
Brief Answer:
neuralgia (nerve related pain), is possible
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Though conditions affecting the muscles can cause pain in certain positions, based on your description of a shooting pain, it is definitely possible that it may be nerve related pain (neuralgia).
Neuralgia may be temporary or permanent and there are different possible causes.
The x ray may have been of both the hips and back, if only of the hips, then imaging of the back is also required preferably by MRI which can show bones and nerves whereas an xray would only show the bones and would not show if there are any structural nerve issues.
This would definitely rule out trauma, eg arthritis as a cause
Other causes of abnormal nerve function (neuropathy) include: (1) low levels of vitamin b12 or folate
(2)diabetes
(3)liver or kidney disease
(4)thyroid disease
(5)infection such as shingles
(6)low vitamin b6 levels
(7)exposure to toxins
(8)neurological conditions such as MS, stroke- rare causes
(9)autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
In some persons the cause is not found and the symptoms may resolve on their own
In addition to more in depth imaging by MRI, blood tests may be needed to find the cause eg complete blood count and ESR (checks for inflammation), kidney and liver function tests, screen for diabetes and thyroid , vitamin levels
There are medications that can help if the over the counter medication is not working well for you.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
neuralgia (nerve related pain), is possible
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Though conditions affecting the muscles can cause pain in certain positions, based on your description of a shooting pain, it is definitely possible that it may be nerve related pain (neuralgia).
Neuralgia may be temporary or permanent and there are different possible causes.
The x ray may have been of both the hips and back, if only of the hips, then imaging of the back is also required preferably by MRI which can show bones and nerves whereas an xray would only show the bones and would not show if there are any structural nerve issues.
This would definitely rule out trauma, eg arthritis as a cause
Other causes of abnormal nerve function (neuropathy) include: (1) low levels of vitamin b12 or folate
(2)diabetes
(3)liver or kidney disease
(4)thyroid disease
(5)infection such as shingles
(6)low vitamin b6 levels
(7)exposure to toxins
(8)neurological conditions such as MS, stroke- rare causes
(9)autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
In some persons the cause is not found and the symptoms may resolve on their own
In addition to more in depth imaging by MRI, blood tests may be needed to find the cause eg complete blood count and ESR (checks for inflammation), kidney and liver function tests, screen for diabetes and thyroid , vitamin levels
There are medications that can help if the over the counter medication is not working well for you.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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